Jumper housing for high voltage gaseous tube illumination



Oct. 3, 1939. RyMlLLER .Er AL JUMPER HOUSING FOR HIGH VOLTAGE GASEOUS TUBE ILLUMINATION l Filed May 19, 1939 Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE JUMPER HOUSING FOB HIGH VOLTAGE GASEOUS TUBE ILLUMINATION Application May 19, 1939, Serial No. 274,562

3 Claims.

The electrical circuit for high voltage gaseous tube illumination includes a transformer and one or more sections of tube in series. Each end of a tube is fitted with an electrode for the passage of electric current into the tube.

'Ihe principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple, neat and improved means for connecting electrodes in series for any type of lighting emplying gaseous tubes. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated, the invention consists in a series of high voltage gaseous illumination tube units each having hook shaped ends and having an electrode-structure located and exposed at the ends of the bills of the hook, the bends of the hook ends of adjacent tubes in the series being located in confronting and closely spaced relation and the bills of the hooks and electrodestructur-es projecting in opposite directions, a two-part tubular sleeve structure having its parts in telescopic or sliding relation and having hook ends adapted to receive the ends of the bills and electrode-structures of adjacent tube units, and a conductor and connections in the sleeve.

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which,

Figure 1 illustrates high voltage gaseous tube illumination embodying jumper housings of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a jumper housing embodying features of the invention, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 embodying a modiiication.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 2, there is illustrated a two part sleeve of glass or other insulating material. The parts are substantial duplicates and a description of one of them will be sufficient. l is a tubular stem having a hook end 2. In other words, the end portion 2 is turned so as to extend in the same direction as the stem and to lie substantially parallel with the stem. The part 2 is shown as of larger diameter than the part I and between the parts I and 2 there is a contracted neck 3 for a purpose to be presently described. The stem lEL is somewhat larger in diameter than the stem l and these stems are fitted one within the other in movable and sliding relation. The structure, therefore, may be described as a two part sleeve having its parts intelescopic or sliding relation and having hooked ends 2 and 2a facing each other. Within the sleeve structure there is a conductor or jumper 4 and it is provided with suiiicient slack as in the coil 8 to permit the parts of the sleeve structure to be moved toward and away from .each other. The ends of the conductor 4 are in communication with connectors 5 shown as spring pressed by means of .springs 6.

The construction and arrangement shown in Figure 2 are as above described except that the ends of the conductor 4a are attached to connectors 5a tted with means for attaching them to the terminals of the electrode as will be presently described.

Referring to Figure 1, a indicates a series of electroluminescent tubes each having hook shaped ends b and having electrode-structures c located and exposed at the ends of the bills of the hooks b. The bends of the hook ends of adjacent tubes in the series are located in confronting closely spaced relation and the bills of the hooks and electrode-structures project in opposite directions where two tubes. in the series are in meeting relation.

To provide a jumper for carrying current between the electrode structures at the adjacent portions of the tubes a use is made of the jumper housing or ysleeve structures shown in Figs. 2 and 3. For this purpose the ends of the tubes a which carry the electrodes are inserted in the chambers 2 and 2a at the ends of the sliding sleeve structure. In the case of' Figure 2 contact is made between the electrode and the jumper 4 by means o-f the spring pressed connectors 5. In the case of Figure 2 the connector 5 is attached to the terminal of the electrode. In either case the jumper housing is readily applied and the necessary electric connections made.

After the parts have been assembled they may be held in assembled relation by means of a band or cord 'I secured around the necks 3 and 3a. Evidently the described two part sliding sleeve enables the tubes a to be spaced the desired distance apart so that continuity of appearance in the illumination is attained. Furthermore, the luminous tubing'can be arranged in small channels in indirect lighting or outlined work for the reason that the jumper housing structure occupies no more space than is necessary for proper insulation and can be arranged behind the tubes or behind the panel on which they are mounted. In fact the connection between the tube electrodes allows compact working in a space slightly more than twice the diameter of the tube electrode.

It Will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement Without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited to such matters or to maters of mere form or otherwise than as the prior art and the appended claims may require.

We claim:

1. A jumper or housing for a series of electroluminescent tubes each having hook shaped ends and having electrode structures located and eX- posed at the ends of the bills of the hooks, comprising a two part tubular sleeve of insulating material having its parts in telescopic or sliding relation and having hook ends disposed in confronting relation and adapted to receive the ends of the bills and electrode structure of adjacent tubes, and conductors and connectors arranged in the sleeve.

2. A jumper housing substantially as described in claim 1 in which the connectors are spring pressed for automatic contact with the terminals of the electrodes.

3. A jumper housing substantially as described in claim 1 in which the necks of the curves of the hooks are contracted and a band or cord encircling the contracted necks.

RALPH MILLER. FRANCIS W. WERRJNG. 

